Kingston actor Chris Cooper receives Tony Award nomination

Actor Chris Cooper received a Tony Award nomination for best actor in the play “A Doll’s House, Part 2.” It’s a triumph for the Kingston film star, who returns to the stage after decades.

“What’s so exciting and why I’m so proud of him is that this is his first time back to Broadway since 1980,” said his wife, actress and author Marianne Leone. “We’re both stunned and thrilled.”

Cooper, who won an Oscar for “Adaptation” and has had roles in more than a dozen films, stars as Torvald, a broken, vulnerable man since his wife, Nora, left him and their children. The play by Lucas Hnath – a response to Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” in 1879 – explores what happens after she returns 15 years later. The production received eight Tony Award nominations.

“The nuance of the role is wonderful,” Leone said. “What’s so great about the play is that everyone has a point of view that makes sense.”

Jefferson Mays, “Oslo.” Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on June 11.

After such a long absence, Cooper decided to return to theater, in part to work with actress Laurie Metcalf, who also received a Tony nomination, and to experience the challenge of live theatre.

“The fact that you do it in real time and there are no do-overs, that is thrilling,” said Leone, who met Cooper when both were young stage actors in New York City. “It’s what we were trained for.”

The couple has lived in Kingston for more than 25 years, drawn by the special education opportunities for their son, Jesse. Born prematurely, Jesse suffered a brain hemorrhage that left him non-verbal and a quadriplegic, but highly intelligent. Leone, known for her role in “The Sopranos,” celebrated his life in her 2010 book “Jesse: A Mother’s Story” after he died unexpectedly in 2005 at age 17. Last month, her second memoir was released, “Ma Speaks Up.” Unlike so many actors and writers who prefer Los Angeles and New York City, the couple has no desire to live there.

“Chris likes living in a small town and being near natural beauty, and we have a lot of friends here,” Leone said. “When we first moved here, we were afraid that there would be no more work. But after we moved is when his career took off.”

Jody Feinberg may be reached at jfeinberg@ledger.com or follow on Twitter @JodyF_Ledger.